Namesake
by celticskyedancer
Summary: While onboard the Lunar Whale, Ceodore decides to interrogate his elusive namesake and learn a bit more about him.


_A/N: Just a short interaction between two characters, which I would have really liked to see in the game. Takes place onboard the flight on the Lunar Whale after you get all the characters._

**Namesake**

"Golbez!"

The half-Lunarian did not even glance over his shoulder. Although he had only known the boy for an hour at best, he already recognized his voice. The rest of their band had been gracious enough to stop the onslaught of questions thrown at them (thanks to a not-so-subtle command from Rosa.) However, he knew that the curious youth would not listen to his mother.

"Golbez!"

Golbez continued walking. He did not have the patience to answer the myriad of questions this boy had.

"Theodor!"

He tensed and turned around. "My name is Golbez," he said, coming off much harsher than he intended.

"Sorry," the boy amended sheepishly. "Golbez. Why didn't you stay back there with everyone else?"

"It's complicated."

"How?"

"Seventeen years ago, I fought against them to destroy the world if you must know," Golbez asked.

"But they've all forgiven you," the boy protested.

"Again, it's more complicated than that."

The boy fell silent, blue eyes showing the intense question he wished to ask.

"What do you want?" Golbez asked. "You came down here for something. What was it?"

"Earlier," the boy began, "back in Baron, when we were fighting my father because that girl was controlling him…you broke the control, and…"

"Yes?" Golbez asked.

"My father called you his brother."

"Yes."

"So that would make you my uncle," the boy finished somewhat awkwardly.

"…Yes," Golbez finally said, moving to turn back to his past course.

"How come I'm just meeting you now?"

Golbez stopped, turning to face his nephew again. "I have been on the Lunarian Moon for all these years. We only came back to the blue planet when the girl Maenad sabotaged the steering controls. Once we defeat her, I can reset the coordinates and fly the moon back to its past course."

"So basically you're running away from us after we win," the boy said.

Something almost akin to guilt seemed to gnaw within him for a brief second. "My place is with the Lunarians just as Cecil belongs here with the humans. I always took after our father while he always took after our mother."

"But I'll never see you again."

Golbez had nothing to say in response. The boy looked at him plaintively, blue eyes just as expressive as his father's. He had only recently learned of his nephew and felt it best if he had as little influence over the boy as possible.

"You know my name is Ceodore, right?"

Golbez rolled his eyes. "Really? When your mother called you that, I assumed that your name was Kain."

"But your name, I mean your real name, is Theodor. So that makes you my namesake."

Namesake. The word seemed to roll so lightly off Ceodore's tongue as if the boy was completely oblivious to the weight in carried. "You shouldn't take pride in being named after a man who nearly destroyed the world."

"But you were only being controlled," Ceodore protested.

"That cannot excuse the horrors committed by my hands."

"I don't think you're evil," Ceodore said. "And I don't think anyone else back there sees you as evil. I know my dad doesn't. He named me after you because he thought you were a great person and brother."

"Cecil often thinks too highly of me," Golbez responded. "He shouldn't. I even abandoned him as a baby. Now if you'll excuse me…"

"But everything worked out in the end," Ceodore protested.

"Does that justify my actions?"

"Well, if you had taken my dad with you, he would have probably fallen under Zemus' control as well," Ceodore said. "And then Zemus would have destroyed everything. Or maybe he would have forced you two to kill one or the other."

"You never know," was all Golbez said.

"Exactly," Ceodore piped with a smile. "Besides, I can only thank you for that."

Golbez eyed the boy curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if you had never left my father, he would have never arrived at Baron Castle," the boy said. "And he would have never met Mom. So I wouldn't exist. So thanks. Sure, maybe what you did was wrong, but good still came out of it. I'm alive because my dad was raised at Baron Castle alongside Rosa and Kain. And personally I like existing rather than not existing."

Golbez had to smile at that. "I suppose things turned out all right in the end." He turned to leave, but Ceodore stopped him by grabbing his hand. "What was Dad like as a kid?" the boy asked eagerly.

"I left him when he was really little," Golbez replied. "So I couldn't answer you that."

"Did he ever call you Teddy?"

"I left before he learned how to speak," Golbez replied.

"Can I call you Uncle Teddy?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"My name is Golbez."

"Well, I like Theodor better," Ceodore replied. "Because it's my name only with a 'th' instead of a 'c.' Plus, then I can call you Uncle Teddy."

"I will answer to Golbez."

"What would you do if I called you Uncle Teddy?" Ceodore asked, pressing the issue.

"Ignore you."

"Even if everyone else laughed?"

"Especially if everyone else laughed."

Ceodore smiled. "Then Uncle Teddy it is!"

Golbez sighed, burying his head in his hands with a groan. He started to leave again, but Ceodore stopped him once more. "What were they like?"

"Pardon?" Golbez asked, not knowing who the boy was talking about.

"Grandma and Grandpa."

"You mean my parents?"

Ceodore nodded. "I asked Dad, but he could only tell me a little. I figured since you were older when they were alive…I never got to know them so…"

"Cecil never got to know them either," Golbez replied. "They were very loving and very much in love. Mom was a fantastic cook and Dad could cast every spell. He was the one who taught magic to the mages in Mysidia. He came from the Lunarian moon, but decided to live among the humans to see if the other Lunarians would be able to coexist with the humans. He was very kind and fatherly, and he had a lot of patience." The half-Lunarian sorcerer's voice had taken on a nostalgic tone. "Mom was always ready with a smile and hug and knew how to make everything better. Dad used to stare at the moon all the time, but I never knew why at the time. Now I know it was because he was a Lunarian."

"You miss them don't you?" Ceodore asked softly.

"Every day," Golbez replied after a moment. "Cecil never really got to know them, but I miss them a lot. Things would have been drastically different if they had lived."

"There you go dwelling in the past again," Ceodore said. "Everything worked out in the end." However, the boy fell silent before speaking up in a quiet voice. "I really would have liked to meet them though. I always thought about asking Dad to take me to Mount Ordeals in the chance that I might hear Grandfather, but I never got the courage."

"You have heard him," Golbez responded.

"What?" Ceodore asked eagerly. "When?"

"When Kain became a Holy Dragoon, a voice gave him his powers, correct?" Golbez asked.

"Yes," Ceodore replied. "Wait, are you saying…"

"That voice was your grandfather KluYa. He gave his power to make Cecil a Paladin and Kain a Holy Dragoon."

"But he never said anything to me," Ceodore mumbled dejectedly.

"Well then travel to Mount Ordeals and talk with him yourself," Golbez said. "I doubt you would have believed him if he revealed himself to you when he blessed Kain. Besides, you would have had too many questions, and then was not the time to answer them."

Ceodore smiled softly. "Yeah, I would have asked a lot of questions. Did he teach you magic?"

Golbez's eyes became sad. "He started to. I was learning the Cure spell when he was attacked by a group of renegade mages. I…I tried to save him, but I was never gifted with White Magic."

"There was nothing you could do to save him," Ceodore said softly.

"I know," Golbez replied sadly. "But it still hurt to lose him. Our mother died shortly after childbirth."

"I'm sorry," Ceodore said softly.

"It's not your fault," Golbez said hastily. He frowned. "And shortly after that, without my father around to protect me, I fell victim to Zemus' control, and I'm sure you know the rest of the story."

"What was it like?" Ceodore asked almost hesitantly.

"What was what like?" Golbez asked.

"Being controlled. What was that…"

Golbez's eyes immediately went hard. "It's like watching yourself commit heinous acts but having no control over your body." He turned abruptly to leave.

"I'm sorry," Ceodore said, almost too softly for Golbez to catch. "I shouldn't have asked. I'm a little bit too curious for my own good. I'm sorry."

Golbez turned around to face Ceodore with a reassuring smile. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry; it's just a touchy subject. It makes me remember all the crimes I committed."

"But it wasn't your fault," Ceodore reiterated.

Golbez did not respond. Rosa's voice could be heard calling for Ceodore. "Your mother wants you," Golbez said after a moment.

Rosa entered the hallway. "Ceodore…hello Golbez." She looked between the two curiously for a moment before turning her attention back to her son. "We will reach the Lunarian Moon soon so you should get your gear ready."

Ceodore nodded, darting past him mother back into the main room.

"I hope he didn't annoy you too much," Rosa said as she watched her son leave. "He can be a bit pestering."

Golbez shook his head. "He's a good kid; you and Cecil did well."

A dark blush covered Rosa's face. "What did you talk about?"

"Family, me, lots of things I guess." Golbez shrugged.

"I'm worried about Cecil," the white mage said after a moment.

"Do not worry about my brother," Golbez said. He hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulder for comfort. "He is a strong and capable man; he should recover fine. And I would not worry about your son either. He has a lot of his father in him, and a lot of you as well. He has a good gene pool to work with."

"Thank you," Rosa said, moving to follow Ceodore back to the main room of the Lunar Whale. She glanced over her shoulder back at Golbez. "Cecil was right."

"Pardon?"

"In naming our son after you. You really are a good namesake." She smiled and left.

Namesake. There was that word again. It still left a strange aftertaste in his mouth, but it was no longer unpleasant. The faintest smile crossed his face. Perhaps he might get used to bearing that title someday.

_Fin._

_A/N: Just a little interaction between Golbez and Ceodore. I wish there had been more in the After Years since Golbez is Ceodore's namesake after all. Please review! (You know you want to)._


End file.
